By urging governments and other stakeholders to enact responsible policies on climate, multi-national corporations can help shift public perception away from the false dichotomy of “environment vs. economy” and create the political conditions for progress.

Last year marked an important tipping point: for the first time, half of the global population lives in cities. Cities currently add 1.4 million people each week and this population growth comes with new buildings, roads and transport systems.

A new WRI study finds that there are many win-win opportunities for the United States to reduce emissions and save money for consumers and businesses. Our blog series, Lower Emissions, Brighter Economy, evaluates these opportunities across five key areas—power generation, electricity consumption, passenger vehicles, natural gas systems and hydrofluorocarbons (coming soon) —which together represent 55 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

As world leaders deal with climate change, aim to lift more people out of poverty, and make the world a more sustainable, prosperous place in 2015, here are the top Stories to Watch, according to WRI’s experts and as presented by WRI President and CEO Andrew Steer on January 8.

The number of SUV models getting at least 25 miles per gallon (mpg) has doubled in the last five years, while the number of cars achieving at least 40 mpg has increased sevenfold. Research shows that new policies can drive efficient vehicle use even further, lowering emissions and saving consumers money.